What if I told you that one of the most powerful resources in the world isn’t oil, gold, or even data—but a set of strange, nearly invisible metals hidden deep underground? And what if I told you that Trump just demanded half of Ukraine’s supply in exchange for military aid?
This isn’t some random power move. It’s part of a global war over rare earth elements (REEs), the critical ingredients that power everything from iPhones to F-35 stealth jets. And here’s the kicker—the U.S. once controlled this market, but handed it over to China on a silver platter.
So, why is Trump suddenly fixated on rare earths? Is this really about Ukraine, or is he playing a much bigger game? This is Part 1 of a deep dive into the rare earth battle shaping modern geopolitics. And trust me—Part 2 will go even deeper.
Table of Contents
The Wild Demand That No One Saw Coming
1. Reports reveal that Trump demanded Ukraine hand over half of its rare earth minerals in exchange for U.S. military aid.
2. News outlets are now predicting that a U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal might soon be finalized.
3. Asking for half of an entire nation’s rare earth deposits isn’t just bold—it’s completely unrealistic.
4. Even Trump knows this demand is excessive, which raises the question: Is he actually after something else?
5. One thing is clear—Trump has a serious fixation on rare earths.
6. Before we get into why, let’s take a look at how this obsession began.
How the iPhone Accidentally Kicked Off the Rare Earth Rush
7. Rare earth elements (REEs) are 17 metals that are technically not rare, but incredibly difficult to mine and refine.
8. The first major product to bring them into the mainstream? The iPhone.
9. When Steve Jobs launched the first iPhone in 2007, it contained 9 different rare earth elements among 17.
10. The glass screen used indium, the vibrant colors came from europium and terbium, and tantalum helped control power flow.
11. Cerium gave the glass its smooth polish, while neodymium was inside the camera lens, speaker magnets, and vibration motor.
12. Steve Jobs didn’t just reinvent the phone—he accidentally triggered the rare earth revolution.
13. These metals are like the MSG of technology—they’re just trace ingredients, but they completely change the final product.
14. Even a tiny amount can make gadgets smaller, faster, and more powerful.
15. The most widely used rare earth element is absolutely, Neodymium.
16. Neodymium is what makes super-powerful, tiny magnets possible.
17. If you add neodymium to a magnet, it becomes over 10 times stronger while staying the same size.
18. It’s the reason Steve Jobs could make Apple screens thin and lightweight.
Rare Earths in War: Why the U.S. Military Cares
19. It’s not just consumer tech—rare earths are critical for military hardware.
20. Each F-35 stealth fighter contains 920 lbs (about 420 kg) of rare earth materials.
21. The secret weapon? Neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets—10 times stronger than regular magnets.
22. The U.S. actually pioneered this technology. GM developed these powerful magnets in 1982.
23. To commercialize the breakthrough, GM launched a company called Magnequench in 1986.
24. Magnequench’s biggest customer was the U.S. military, which bought 85% of its magnets.
China’s Rare Earth Monopoly: The U.S. Blunder That Made It Happen
25. In 1995, GM sold Magnequench to a company called Sextant Group.
26. The real buyer, hiding behind Sextant Group, was a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
27. This company was controlled by China’s Academy of Sciences, proving the Chinese government was directly involved.
28. China’s goal wasn’t just to buy the company—it was to steal the neodymium magnet technology.
29. If you read our previous article, you might remember China’s 3 rules: Buy, Steal, Abandon.
30. After the deal, China started building identical production facilities.
31. In 2000, Magnequench’s entire factory was secretly dismantled and shipped to China.
32. By 2003, the U.S. factory shut down and all employees were laid off.
33. China had rare earth deposits, but they lacked the technology to process them—until now.
34. Owning Magnequench gave them both the patents and the expertise.
35. By 2010, China produced 75% of the world’s Nd-Fe-B magnets, making it the dominant supplier.
36. Deng Xiaoping, China’s former leader, summed it up: “The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths.”
37. The Magnequench acquisition was led by Deng Xiaoping’s second daughter, Deng Nan, then Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology.
38. The father got the minerals, the daughter got the tech.
The U.S. Finally Wakes Up
39. The U.S. ignored rare earths for years—until it was too late.
40. Even in 2008, the Pentagon insisted rare earths were not vital for national security.
41. During strong U.S.-China relations, rare earths were seen as just another resource—let China handle the pollution and mining, and we’ll buy them cheap.
42. Then Trump came along in 2017 and issued an executive order to assess America’s rare earth supply.
43. He wanted a full report on which critical minerals the U.S. needed—and whether it had enough of them.
44. The results were alarming: The U.S. was completely dependent on China for rare earths.
45. To fix this, Trump took control away from the Treasury Department and handed it to the Pentagon.
46. From that moment on, the Department of Defense took control of rare earth policy, viewing it as a national security priority.
Biden Didn’t Change the Plan
47. When Biden took office, he kept Trump’s rare earths strategy, focusing on four key areas:
- Electric vehicle batteries
- Semiconductors
- Critical minerals (including rare earths)
- Pharmaceuticals
48. But not all rare earths are equal—one is more critical than all the others.
49. That element is Dysprosium (Dy).
Dysprosium: The Rare Earth Element That Really Matters
50. There are two types of rare earths: Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs) and Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs).
51. Light rare earths are easy to find and cheap to mine.
52. Heavy rare earths are rare, difficult to mine, and extremely valuable.
53. The most important HREE? Dysprosium.
54. Dysprosium is nearly impossible to replace in military and energy tech.
55. It was first isolated in 1886 in France after an excruciatingly complex extraction process.
56. Scientists struggled so much that they named it “Dysprosium,” from the Greek word meaning “hard to get (δυσπρόσιτος).”
how Dysprosium works
57. Inside a motor, magnets generate electricity as they spin.
58. Adding neodymium to a magnet increases its strength more than tenfold, allowing for much smaller yet powerful magnets.
59. The downside? Neodymium magnets heat up at high speeds, weakening their performance over time.
60. To solve this, a heavy rare earth element—dysprosium—is added, keeping the magnet stable even under extreme heat.
61. That’s why high-performance generators and EV motors rely on dysprosium-infused permanent magnets—to stay strong, fast, and efficient.
62. A single 10-megawatt wind turbine requires around 2 tons of neodymium permanent magnets.
63. Inside those 2 tons of magnets? About 350 pounds (160 kg) of dysprosium.
64. Even electric cars need dysprosium—about 3.5 ounces (100 grams) per vehicle.
65. The problem? Global dysprosium production is barely 1,000 tons per year, and supply is running dangerously low.
Continued on Part 2 – Feat. China, Ukraine, and Trump’s U.S.
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